The emblem of the land I love

This is another 4th of July manicure inspired by a pin I found.  Now, I don't want to really brag, but I find some awesome stuff on Pinterest (which is made by people much more talented than I am.  It may be the many hours that get lost once I log on that lead to these finds...) and you are more than welcome to check out my boards here: http://pinterest.com/missyjean415.  I always want to attribute the manis I find and the pin linked to an Olympic compilation and the photo linked to this instagram: ohtammm.  I really liked the look, even though it moved me outside of my accent comfort zone!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Loreal Queen of Hearts (thumb & pinkie)
*2 coats Zoya Song (ring and middle)
*1 coat Spoiled Daddy's Credit Card (index)
*3 coats Revlon Splendor (index)
*Cover Girl White Night
*1 coat Out the Door

I am really comfortable with an accent on my ring finger, but this changed everything up!  It's not really a skittle because not every nail is different, but I'm not really used to this kind of design.  My thumb and pinkie are red and white stripes.  I'm going to have to order some striping tape because I have no clue where my roll went and scotch tape is not ideal for small stripes like this.  I tried a different red, a brighter one than my last, that I've had forever and really don't use.  It's a nice one, though, with a subtle gold-leaning shimmer to it. 

Song was out still, so I used it for my blue base.  I knew I didn't have any silver glitter that I could build to full-coverage, so I used a sheer base of shimmery silver and added holo glitter on top.  I'm really annoyed with my impatience and forgetfulness.  These looked cleaner before I put on my top coat and used too many strokes, causing streaks all over the place.  In real life it's really hard to tell, but these pictures are a good reminder to be patient!  These stripes are a bit funky, but I'm loving the dots and silver!  Luckily, I still have at least one more mani I want to try for the 4th, so I'll change these stripes out soon. 
Do you have any great tips to keep top coats from streaking art?  Do tell!

New 31DC: Saran Wrap

I went into today's challenge feeling a little cocky.  Maybe it is because sponging was so easy the first time I played with it, so I figured that this was the same.  It is, but it's not. 
A "Saran Wrap" manicure is, as I read in many tutorials, a dry base color with a new color painted on top.  While that top color is wet, use wadded up Saran Wrap to blot off color, leaving a sponged/mottled finish.  As I did my first nail, the OCD side of me instantly hated this.  A lot.  The polish came off too much and was too tacky.  I kept going and hated each nail just as much.  They didn't look like the cool examples I've been seeing all over.  As I looked at my fingers, I decided to go back over them using the less talked about method of dipping my Saran Wrap into polish and then dabbing it on.  This was much better, for both aesthetics and the side of me that needs to be in control. 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Finger Paints Tiffany Imposter
*Spoiled Are Mermaids Real?
*1 coats Out The Door

I saw this mani by Jenny when I searched Saran Wrap manis on Pinterest and loved the look of a shimmer over a cream.  Actually, I loved the look of these two, but figured I'd try to add just a tiny bit of originality to my work (which is rare for me).  I love Shrimp on the Barbie, and Are Mermaids Real? is like a sister to it.

Tiffany Imposter is a cream whose name says it all.  While I think that this is actually a darker, dustier blue than the iconic original, it is pretty nevertheless (and a dupe of For Audrey).  I probably could have just used 1 coat, went with 2 to be safe.

Are Mermaids Real? is a pretty purple polish.  It is sheer, so it takes 4-ish coats to be opaque or a good base under it.  It's a darker, cool purple packed with golden shimmer.  That shimmer is the best part and I'm glad that it translated through the Saran Wrap!

As I photographed this and wrote this entry, I have come to like this look more.  I'm not totally sold on it, but I'm very willing to give it another go.  So, have you tried the Saran Wrap method?  Was I missing something the first time through that makes it more awesome?  Because I like the look of it after dabbing much more (which doesn't look a whole lot different from sponging). 

It's beginning to look at lot like christmas!

This is my FAVORITE time of year!  It is insanely busy working in retail and we all have a ton of things planned to do, but I can't get enough of Christmas.  I'm started putting out decorations tonight, am getting my tree in the morning, and just did my first Christmas mani for the season!
I have been saving up a bunch of Christmas manis on Pinterest and am excited to try them out.  This first one is a little...rough...  My nail art technique and outcomes are not something to really brag about, but I'm excited to try new things and I like knowing that I'm being honest about my attempts.  Sometimes it gets discouraging to see all of the amazing nail art out there and know I don't measure up.  For the ladies like me out there, I want you to know you can still enjoy decorating your nails and be okay when it comes out a little...funky.
So, this inspiration came from Pinterest.  I tried to connect back to the original blog, but it's missing, so if you know whose this is, let me know so I can give credit!

My freehand bows are rough, but I don't hate them.  I used 2 coats of OPI Danke-shiny Red.  I love this rich, shimmery red and it's amazing coverage in two coats.  They go on so smooth and the finish is shiny and gorgeous.  I highly recommend this one from the Germany collection!

Over the top, I added a thin coat of the red glitter Snowman polish.  I picked up two of these little guys (the flaky/iridescent glitter and the shredded teal glitter).  BUT, what does my mom send me for Thanksgiving?  The red glitter, the pink, and the teal!  She's kind of the best.  So, I added this fine red glitter in a clear base over the top.  The color matches perfectly and just adds a little sparkle to Danke-shiny. 
I used my trusty Sinful Colors Snow Me White for the ribbons and added Spoiled Daddy's Credit Card for the silver accent.  On my thumbs and ring fingers I added a little silver rhinestone.  We'll see how long they last at work!

I'm VERY glad that you cannot see my right hand as well :).  I couldn't just paint bows on my left, though.  I kind of wish that I had just done one on my accent nails instead of all 5, but this is my week off of classes, so I'll have more time to paint without papers to grade.  Plus, I've got too much holiday excitement to not move onto a new design soon!
Are you feelin' festive?  Are your nails showing it?  What holiday designs are you rocking that you think I need to try?

Fall into Winter

My Thanksgiving mani was showing some decent tip-wear (Black Friday can be rough on those of us who work retail!) so I looked for a quick change tonight.  There are still some colors that I wanted to use this Fall but never got around to, and this one by Spoiled is a good transition from the warm tones of November into the cool and crisp Christmas ones that are coming!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Spoiled I Got So Plastered
*2 coats e.l.f. Golden Goddess
*1 coat Seche Vite

I picked up I Got So Plastered (sidenote: I am really not okay with a number of the Spoiled names.  There are little girls who like to paint their nails that don't need that!) at with a buy two get one promo.  This shimmery rose gold is more sheer than I thought, but so pretty!  It really has a metallic/foil finish on the nail with all the tiny shimmer.  It's a bit cooler in real life than in the pictures and so pretty!

This was my first e.l.f. polish that I found randomly in Target one day.  I couldn't find any others and thought it was really pretty, so I snagged it.  It is a clear base with really fine gold glitter mixed in with some larger gold holo hexes.  I used two coats because it's sparkly, but not super-dense--a great glitter for layering and letting the base show through.

So what polish mode are you in?  Still loving fall/Thanksgiving colors, or moving into the winter/Christmas shades?  Have you tried either of these and found good combos for them? 

With Thanksgiving fresh on our minds, I want to give a couple of huge "Thank you!" mentions!  First off, in less than 2 weeks I have added another 500 views to my blog!  Than YOU, reading this right now, for stopping by!  Much of this is due to the wonderful ladies who are contributing to my Movember movement, which means more than you can know.  Your manis are amazing and the awareness and love that you bring is humbling and inspiring. 
Finally, I want to give a huge thanks to Mandy at Chameleon Stampede Nail Blog.  She is such a sweetheart and talented "nailista."  She featured me this past week in her "Featuring YOU!" post (which is such a cool series that she does).  Check out her awesome work and send a little love her way if you have a chance--she is one cool chickadee!

A little mocha

I wanted something cozy and fall-y, so I pulled out all of my browns and coppers. I decided to give pretty little Essie Mochacino a try. We sell Essie where I work and I saw this come through one day and had to track it down. 

This "greige"--a brown that tends toward gray--is packed with silver shimmer.  It sort of reminds me of hot cocoa as it cools, with that light layer forming on the top. 

The polish is really sheer.  I used 3 coats here and wish I had used a fourth.  You can still see my nail lines, especially on my index finger in the photos.  They were really thin coats that dried quickly, though, so adding one more won't be a big inconvenience in the future to enjoy that shimmer!

   

I wanted to add a little something so I layered 2 coats of Spoiled Jewelry Heist on my ring finger.  This glitter is gorgeous!  There are large hex pieces that are a rose gold color, with smaller iridescent pieces.  It's a really pretty glitter and covers nicely--not much placement needed at all!  It is a little funny on Mochacino, though.  They're slightly different tones, with Mochacino being much cooler than Jewelry Heist, but the rose gold almost looks like iridescent glitter against the brown background. 

Neither of these were quite what I was expecting, but they are both really pretty polishes!  What are you wearing to feel the fall season?  Have you found any cool combos for either of these two?

**On an un-related note, My Lucid Bubble was so sweet and mentioned me in her most recent Blog Love: Sharing is Caring post!  I am so humbled and honored--I love what you do and you are so kind to mention me!

31DC: Inspired by a book

I mentioned that I loved movies yesterday.  Well, I'm also a bookworm!  Luckily, books are a bit harder to translate into nails, so today was a bit less overwhelming, but I still feel a little like I'm betraying books by choosing just one!  I figured that I really couldn't help but do a Harry mani.  I know there are a ton of ways to take those books into art, but I went simple (because most of my art skills are spent this week!) and represented the houses with their colors.  I have one untried today.

"By Gryffindor, the bravest were prized far beyond the rest."  For Gryffindor's colors, I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Wined Up.  I love this deep, shimmery scarlet.  This is a gorgeous fall color!  I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I for the tip.

 

 

"For Hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission."  First off, let me rant that little ol' Hufflepuff gets a bad rap.  They are also loyal and hard workers, determined like their little badger mascot.  They are not the duds of Hogwarts.  Really!  I used 2 coats of Color Club Almost Famous for the yellow base and Sally Hansen Black Out for the tip. 

 

 

"For Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best."  For the base of this nail, I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Co-Bolt Blue.  This is such a pretty, shimmery blue!  I used China Glaze Harvest Moon for the coppery tip.  I loved this color combo!  These two are so pretty on their own, but really amazing together.

 

"And power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition."  For my base, I used 3 coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Emerald City.  I used Spoiled Daddy's Credit Card for the silver tip--kind of apprpriate for an entitled house.  This would make for such a pretty Christmas combo--I'll have to remember it!

 

"And we must unite inside her or we'll crumble from within."  The Hogwarts' seal is a combination of the 4 houses, bound with an "H."  I added a little Fairy Dust, for magical measure, and used my Black Hologram striper to draw on the H.

Well, that's my book inspiration!  It feels so anti-climactic because I have so much love for so many books!  I feel like it should be something monumental, something spectacular.  I liked this design, but it's not one I'm dying to recreate.  Have you had that happen before?  Been excited for a mani and then realized that it just didn't live up to your expectations, even if it wasn't bad, per se? 

31DC: Inspired by a movie

I am a movie hoarder.  I have far too many DVDs.  My Netflix queue is a mile long.  I love movies!  This challenge became super overwhelming for me because my mind went in a million directions.  I tried to narrow it down to Halloween movies.  That is a much more narrow category because I am also a movie wimp.  I don't do horror.  I still have nightmares about Gremlins (yeah, the ones that the Family Channel shows). 
I love Tim Burton's work.  I love his aesthetic but, more importantly, I love the vulnerability and brokenness of his characters.  They are intensely human, weird, lonely, and remarkable.  My aunt is a really big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas.  I haven't watched this in years, but it did kind of creep me out the last time (I may or may not have been in college..."wimp" is an understatement).  It fit the theme and I really love her, so I wanted to do something with her in mind.  Here are my Nightmare nails:

 Like yesterday, I used a lot of polishes to do this art, so I'll save you the list and get to each one!

Nothing screams "Burton!" like the iconic curling hilltop, set against the glowing moon.  It is everything quirky and striking about him.  I used Color Club Almost Famous as my background and my Color Club art striper in Black Hologram for the hill itself.

 

Jack!  Mr. Skellington himself has the creepy warmth that you find in Burton films.  You can't help but love his dreaming and enthusiasm!  (I realized, after the fact, that I made this really high up on my nail.  Jack looks a little fat here.  Sorry buddy!)  I used my trusty Sally Hansen Black Out and a small paint brush for his features and Sinful Colors Snow Me White.

 

 

Sally!  Who knew a creepy patchwork doll could actually be so cute and lovable!  I tried to get a patchwork nail to capture this.  I know there is so much more detail in her dress, but it's impossible to think of the movie and not picture this!  I used Zoya Tru, Zoya Yara, Cover Girl Candy Corn and Ulta Smoke Screen for the patches, lined with Black Out.

 

Oogie Boogie.  This is where the movie started to lose me (and by that I mean I started to freak out a little)...But, he's a key part of the story.  I used Zoya Yara again (I love this shimmery olive green!) and my Black Holo striper for the stitching.  Moving on to something happier...

Zero!  Who doesn't love Zero?  Everyone needs a dog, even Jack.  I used Color Club Wild Orchid (gorgeous!) as the background and painted his nose on with Snow Me White (with a little China Glaze Make A Spectacle on top--the only untried today) and Candy Corn and Spoiled Vitamin C for his jack-o-lantern nose.

 

 So there is my little Halloween Town!  Is this a favorite movie of yours?  What are your thoughts on the genius of Tim Burton (no pressure--I'm not biased!).  Do you like painting your nails for others so that you think of them when you look down?  I love it!

31DC: Inspired by a song

You have to bear with me today.  I knew that I wanted to do a Wizard of Oz design, but the question was which day to do it.  After I filled in my other "inspirations," I ended up with an empty song day.  This is going to be a picture-heavy post with a lot of designs (10) and polishes (20--4 untrieds!).  I'll try to be brief, but my life-long love for this movie really makes that hard!  I was going to do 5 different images/concepts, but couldn't narrow it down, so here is a full 10 mani:

"Oh, we're off to see the Wizard--the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

 (The polishes for the first 5)

 

31DC: Violet

I almost dropped the ball on this one!  I had already done the mani and taken pictures.  They were uploaded and waiting for a post.  Then I had a day off...

After a very long, stressful, emotional week, I took a complete "me" day.  I had a long-distance movie date with my best friend, had lunch, did some clearance shopping at Sally's (I was super restrained--only2 and they were each less than $2!) and headed home.  Then I met up with a great old friend for drinks and the Giants game!  I am sleep and tired, even after a day off, and was on my way to bed.  I thought about painting my nails tomorrow and then: WHOOPS!  I forgot to post today! 

 

Violet was not my most interesting color.  I think I just kind of froze and didn't have a lot of creativity.  I did, however, use 2 untrieds, so I'm okay with the simplicity.  

 

*1 coat Yellow-Out base
*2 coats China Glaze C-C-Courage
*1 coat Spoiled Papa-Paparazzi on ring finger
*1 coat Seche Vite

C-C-Courage is from my amazing Wizard of Oohs and Ahhs collection.  Two coats provided great coverage, which is always great in a polish.  It is a really easy formula to work with and a pretty shade of purple.  It is packed with micro shimmer that you can see much more clearly in this bottle shot, but in real life it shows up beautifully on the nail.

Papa-Paparazzi is a gorgeous mix of purple and silver holo glitter in a clear base.  I don't really have an area outside to take pictures in the sun, so I tried to get the sparkle to show up in my window (classy, I know).  The angle on my nail is bad, but the bottle shows the beauty of this one.  I'm excited to use it again soon!

So there they are, before midnight!  A little boring, I know, but two polishes that I now know I love and can't wait to use again!  This is the end of the rainbow, which was not too bad for me.  Now the craziness of the challenge begins! 

31DC: Red

So here it begins!  It's the first of October, and I am going to do my best to get a new mani, on the right theme (or my cheat of it) each day.  I'm glad that we ease into things with colors.  I know that last month the ladies focused on their untried polishes.  I can't guarantee that each post will have untrieds, but I have a lot to choose from, so most should!  Today's red nails have 4!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black out on all but ring finger
*2 coats Spoiled Ants In My Pants on pinkie, middle and index finger
*2 coats Fantasy Makers Once Upon A Time on thumb
*3 coats Julep Jennifer on ring finger
*accent in Zoya Arizona (I forgot that one in my picture--sorry!)

I was just going to give these gorgeous glitters a try, but the point of this challenge is to, you know, challenge me.  I decided to go all in and give a little nail art a try, incorporating a touch of gore/Halloween with a Dexter homage.

When I nabbed the cute Fantasy Makers I forgot about Ants In My Pants.  When I got home and saw the sorta-dupes, I was disappointed in myself.  Luckily, they were each less than two dollars!  I decided to use both to see how they compared.  I started with a black base because the tinted bases of these looked pretty thin.  The strange thing about them, which you can see both in the photos and in real life, is that it actually looks blue or purple. 
You can see in the picture that Once Upon A Time on my thumb has glitter that is much denser than Ants In My Pants, but both were really easy to apply--no glitter maneuvering needed!  I personally (though I know no one agrees) kind of like the uber-wide Spoiled brush, but if you have one you don't really need the other unless you are completing a collection.

Jennifer was very sheer.  I used 3 coats and you can still see nail line in real life.  It is a creamy almost-perfect nude for me.  I used a small paint brush and America to attempt the signature slice from Dexter's work. It's not great, but for me it is a big deal because I almost NEVER attempt any art in my polishing.

You can get a better idea of the blue tint of the base in this one.  And, on a side note, how cute are the Fantasy Makers' bottles?  I know I'm late to the bandwagon, but they're pretty cool seasonal bottles!

So there it is: day 1!  I am a little worried I won't be able to follow through with the whole challenge, but I'm one day closer to completion!
Have you taken the challenge before?  Would you give it a try?  Again? 

Just what the Doctor Ordered



This week my mom started back to school. She is an amazing teacher and wrangles third graders five days a week. She puts everything into her classroom and kids, and I wanted to do something fun in her honor. Well, I wanted to spend a lot of money, but I improvised instead.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails base
*2 coats Sally Hansen Blew Me Away
*2 coats Spoiled Shuffle the Deck
*1 coat China Glaze Fairy Dust
*1 coat Out The Door top coat

What I really wanted to splurge on was Whimsical Ideas by Pam's Seuss.  It's all over the blogs and a brilliant take on childhood.  It's a bright blue base with awesome red and white hex glitters.  Oh, and did I mention the cutest bottle ever?  I wish that I had the money to buy far too many of her polishes, but alas, I am but a poor girl...

(This is a little closer to the real colors, without the flash)

So, I tried my hand at recreating her beauty.  I used Blew Me Away as my base, a reasonable match to hers.  This is a beautiful bright blue cream that actually is a bit darker than the picture shows.  It's a clean, afternoon-sky blue. 
I then added Shuffle the Deck on top, which is a mix of red, silver and black hex glitters in a clear base.  I have a love-dislike relationship with Spoiled glitters.  I do not hate them, even at their worst, but they can be a bit annoying.  The base is thick and the glitter can be sparse, so it makes for some work.  But, at $1.99 (or less!) with the combos they have, I can't complain too much.  I did 2 coats and each time I put the brush in, I swirled it around before pulling it back out.  This seemed to help get more glitter onto the brush. 
I had just snatched up Fairy dust, and my glitter looked a bit sparse, so I did a thin coat of this micro holo over the top.  The silver look of it fit well with Shuffle the Deck.  I dried and shined it all up with Out the Door, which is becoming my go-to quick dry.

So, it's not quite the same as Pam's (which I would NEVER object to swapping for receiving as a gift), but it was not too bad.  I would work a little harder to get the glitter dispersed more evenly next time, but it was bright and happy and reminded me of my mom all week, so I guess it could have been a whole lot worse!